Photoelectric shoal water survey device



PHOTOELECTRIC SHOAL'WATER SURVEY DEVICE Filed May 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY RALPH E SHROPfiH/RE Nov. .4, 1941. R. F. SHROPSHIRE PHOTOELECTRIC SHOAL WATER SURVEY DEVICE Filed May 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR BY RA LPh' E 571R OPfi/f/RE ATTORNEY 4,, 1941- R. IF. SHROPSHIRE 2,261,190

PHOTOELECTRIC SHOAL WATER SURVEY DEVICE Filed May 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY RALPH E 5I/IPOPSI/IRE ATTOREY nar- Patented Nov. 4, 1941 PHOTOELECTRIC SHOAL WATER SURVEY DEVICE Ralph F. Shropshire, United States Navy Application May 29, 1940, Serial N0. 337,757

(Granted under the act of March 3, ions, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

This invention has for an object to provide a photo-electric cell shoal water survey device and to eliminate the necessity of using drag wires in certain types of survey work in shoal water.

' It is necessary to know the minimum depth of water in many shoal water areas and to learn whether there are any obstructions in this minimum depth as speedily as possible, so that they maybe removed in any suitable manner. At present, the conventional method of performing this work is to use a drag wire suspended between two parallel moving vessels. Obviously, the catenary of the drag makes it impossible to insure an absolutely uniform minimum depth, for the weight of the wire drag causes the center to be lower than the end. Furthermore, the wire will sometimes ride over the obstruction and fail to indicate its presence.

The present invention eliminates these disadvantages and uncertainties and insures the presence of an absolutely minimum depth and the indication'of any obstruction protruding into this minimum depth within the area surveyed.

A further feature of this invention is that the survey can be made by a single vessel, as compared to two vessels using a drag wire.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the device in operation.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the circuits involved.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through 'the underwater light housing.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view through the under-water photo-electric cell housing.

. Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing a guard mourited on the under-water housing of Figs. 3 and Fig. 6 is a top elevational view of the clutch Joint between the spar and the vertical member; and

Fig. '1. is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

There is shown at IU -a survey vessel on which the invention of this device is mounted. This device includes a pair of spar members II and I2, each hinged as at I! to a base member ll securely anchored on the vessel ll. The-spar members H and I2 are made of such material that they will be as light as possible consistent with the necessary strength, and are additionally pontoons or floats i5, each provided with a supporting mast l6 of sufficient height so as to maintain the spar members II and i 2 substantially horizontal. In addition, stay wires l'l extending 'from spar collars l8 to 20 and bowed outwardly to a collar spider 2|, may be supplied to reinforce the spar members lfl and I2 and assist them in remaining horizontal.

Inasmuch as the over-all length from the end of one spar member II to the end of the other spar member l2 may be feet, more or less, the spar members II and I2 may be made of telescopic tubes, both for the purpose of being adjustable in length and for the purpose of compact stowage, when not in use. At the end of each spar member there is provided a vertical member 22, streamlined in outline similar to an airplane strut, as shown in Fig. 6, so that its passage through the water 23 will take place with the minimum resistance. Extending from the end of each spar member may be a bolt 24 which extends through a pair of selected openings 25 in the vertical member 22,,so as to hold the vertical member 22 at any selected vertical position within a vertical sleeve 26. This vertical sleeve 26 is provided with a friction clutch plate 21, co-

operating with a friction clutch plate 28 on the end' of each spar member, the bolt 24 likewise passing through this sleeve 26, a wing nut 30 and housing 32 being streamlined in shape, as shown in Fig. 5, to facilitate its passage through the water. In addition, extending from the bottom of the vertical member 22 is a guard 33, bifurcated at its end as at 34 so as to absorb the shock should an obstruction be met, and cause the vertical member 22 to yield about its pivot bolt 24 before the instrument within the instrument housing 32 can be damaged. The instrument housing 32, depending from one of the spars as H, carries an instrument consisting of a light 25 of suitable power, say 500 watts, within the waterproof housing, the light 35 being based within one side of the housing 32, while the waterproof window 36 is provided at the other end.

A suitable reflector 21 may be provided behind the light 35 while an open cylinder 38, leading supported adjacent their ends by streamlined from the light 35 to the open window 26, confines the projected light to an extremely narrow beam 40. A source of power to the light 35 is provided by electrical conduit 4| extending up the vertical member 22 and through the spar member II to a suitable source of energy on board the vessel Ill. The exposed portions of conduit 4| are suitably waterproofed, especially where it leaves the top of the vertical member 22 and enters the spar member I I. The instrument housing 32, supported at the end of the vertical member 22 on the other spar member 12, carries a photo-electric cell 42 at the inner end of its cylinder 43 which cylinder extends to its window 44. Extending from this photo-electric cell 42 are suitable conduits 45 leading to an amplifier 46 for operating a relay 41 for holding open a switch 48 in a circuit 50 leading through a source of power i to a signal 52.

In operation, when it is desired to survey a shallow lagoon, for instance, to a minimum depth of ten feet, the vertical members 22 will be adjusted at the ends of the spar members H and I2 so as to be supported on that selected pair of holes 25 and they will permit exactly ten feet of the vertical member 22 to extend below the level 23 of the water. With the light 35 in operation and the photo-electric cell 42 in position, a light beam 40 will pass from the light 25 to the photoelectric cell 42. As long as this light beam is uninterrupted the photo-electric cell 32 operating through the amplifier 46 activates the relay 4! and holds the switch 48 in open or circuit interrupting position to the signal 52. Should any obstruction, such as a projection 53' from the bottom 54 of the water, interrupt the light beam 40, the photo-electric cell will no longer hold the relay 4'! open, and the switch 48 will be closed by its spring 53 to complete the circuit to the signal 52 and indicate the presence of such obstruction, enabling it to be removed, as by dynamiting or other suitable manner. It is obvious that the signal 52 may be a flashing light, a bell or whistle,

. or any combination thereof, as may be desired,

to instantly apprise the operators of the presence of the obstruction.

an angle, showing an obstruction has been met.

As apparent from Figs. 3 and 4, the cylinders 38 and 43 will be of suflicient length so as to insure the desired narrowness of the light beam 40, as well as the elimination of undesired stray light actuating photo-electric cell 42.

Other modifications and changes in the proportions and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A photo-electric cell survey device for underwater survey, comprising means on a movable vessel for supporting a light source and a photoelectric cell at spaced apart positions at a desired depth under-water, said light source providing an under-water beam to activate said photoelectric cell, and a signal means on board said movable vessel actuated by said photo-electric cell wheneverthe light beam by said light source is interrupted.

2. A photo-electric cell survey device for underwater survey, comprising means on a movable vessel for supporting a light source and a photoelectric cell at spaced apart positions at a desired depth under-water, said light source providing an under-water beam to activate said photo-electric cell, and a signal means on board said movable vessel actuated by said photo-electric cell whenever the light beam by said light source is interrupted, said supporting means comprising a horizontally extending spar means and vertical members at the opposite end of said.

spar means extending under water to carry said light source and said photo-electric cell.

3. A photo-electric cell survey device for underwater survey, comprising means on a movable vessel for supporting a light source and a photoelectric cell at spaced apart positions at a desired depth under-water, said light source providing an under-water beam to activate said photo-electric cell, and a signal means on board said movable vessel actuated by said photo-electric cell whenever the light beam by said light source is interrupted, said supporting means comprising a horizontally extending spar means and vertical members at the opposite end of said-spar means extending under-water to carry said light source and said photo-electric cell, said vertical members being adjustably, pivotally supported at the ends of said spar means.

4. A photo-electric cell survey device for underwater survey, comprising means on a movable vessel for supporting a light source and a photoelectric cell at spaced apart positions at a desired depth under-water, said light source providing an under-water beam to activate said photo-electric cell, a signal means on board said movable vessel actuated by said photo-electric cell whenever the light beam by said light source is interrupted, said supporting means comprising a horizontally extending spar means and vertical ,members at the opposite end of said spar means extending under water, and float means adjacent the end of said spar means assisting in supporting said spar means.

5. A photo-electric cell survey device for underwater survey, comprising means on a moving vessel for supporting a light source and a photo: electric cell at spaced apart positions at a desired depth under-water, said light source providing an under-water beam to activate said photoelectric cell, a signal means on board said mov able vessel actuated by said photo-electric cell whenever the light beam by said light source is interrupted, said supporting means comprising a horizontally extending spar means and vertical members at the opposite end of said spar means extending under water to carry said light source and said ph0t0-e1ectric cell, and a stream-lined waterproof housing at the lower end of each vertical member, said light source being within one of said waterproof housings, said photo-elec tric cell being within the other of said waterproof housings.

6. A photo-electric cell survey device forundervessel for supporting a light source and a photoactuated by said photo-electric cell whenever the light beam by saidlight source is interrupted, said supporting means comprising a horizontally extending spar means and vertical members at the opposite end or said spar means extending under water to carrysaid vlight source and said -l0 photo-electric cell, a stream-lined waterproof housing at the lower end of each vertical member,

said light source being within one of said water-' proof V housings, said photo-electric cell beingv within the other of said waterproof housings, and a shock absorbing guard supported on each verti-' cal member and extending-forwardly and about each waterproof housing.

RALPH F. SHROPSHIRE. 

